1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wind instruments, and, more particularly, to wind instruments having improved tonal characteristics by modifying the tone-rich region.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wind instruments are typically those in which sound is produced by a player setting a column of air into vibration by blowing into or over a mouthpiece. Wind instruments include both brass and woodwind instruments. Tones produced by the instrument may be varied by adjusting the length of the column of vibrating air, opening and/or closing valves or keys, thus changing an effective length, changing the length via sliding tubing, vibrating the column of air at different frequencies, and combinations of the above-techniques.
Woodwinds typically have an inherent problem with maintaining the correct pitch. This problem is especially inherent in the saxophones. As the instrument ascends the scale, it deviates from its optimum pitch level. This deviation represents itself by becoming more sharp (i.e., at higher frequency than is desired). B flat tenor saxophones, for example, generally begin to deviate at F sharp (at the fifth line treble clef or 329.6 Hz, concert E) and then reach the highest point of deviation at a B above the staff (440 Hz, concert A).
This presents a significant problem whereby as the frequencies of the overtones deviate from the optimum frequencies, or the volume of the overtone that is played at an incorrect frequency increases, the perceived tonal characteristics of the instrument may deteriorate. Many people, especially those who have been musically trained, are capable of detecting a difference in frequency between two separate sounds which is as little as 2 Hz.
Various instruments are more unstable than others. For example, the saxophone is more difficult to play as it is slightly unstable when played. That is, many notes will deviate a small amount from the desired pitch level (i.e., frequency) even though the correct keys are being depressed. As such, the saxophone player must adjust the pitch by altering their blowing technique to force the saxophone into the proper pitch. Since those who have been musically trained are often capable of detecting a difference in frequency between two separate sounds which is as little as 2 Hz, even a slight improvement in one or more of the overtones of a particular note played, and/or a decrease in volume of an overtone with a frequency different from the correct frequency, can have a significant impact on the tonal characteristics of the overall sound of the wind instrument.
The general configuration of the various instruments categorized as saxophones has not changed since its inception in the mid 1800's. For example, the tenor saxophone includes a U-shaped horn with various keys along the horn that are used to selectively cover tone holes in the saxophone. Each key is operated by depressing a lever or key against the tone hole. Some of the keys have conventionally included an insert formed from mother of pearl. The mother of pearl inserts were provided for decorative purposes and to provide a material that generally maintains its luster after extended use and subsequent wear, although mother of pearl does wear out eventually, whereas, brass keys tend to tarnish and actually physically erode over time.
Producing a correct pitch in a brass instrument may be difficult. Often when a single note is played, the instrument produces not only the note, but a series of overtones as well. If the overtones do not have frequencies at the proper levels, the overtones reduce the sound quality of the note played. Often in brass instruments, the overtones deviate from the desired frequencies. Brass instruments are often designed such that particular positions of valves, slides, and the like produce different notes. For example, a trumpet is designed such that the tones of a trumpet are played by depressing valves to vary the length of the tubing. This technique is generally called “slotting,” that is, the technique of depressing certain keys to generate a particular tone. A particular note is slotted by depressing the correct valve, or combination of valves. One difficulty in playing a valved brass instrument is that the overtones may not be slotted correctly. That is, though the instrument may be slotted to play the fundamental note correctly, the player may be required to vary the method of buzzing into the instrument to bring the overtones into a correct range, thereby improving the tonal characteristics of the tone played. Thus it remains difficult to play a valved brass instrument because the player is required to correct the pitch due to the overtones deviating from the desired frequencies.
Wind instruments may include a hole and covering along the tubing of the instrument. Many wind instruments, for example, include an octave key. The octave key may raise the pitch of the wind instrument. The saxophone, for example, typically includes an octave key mounted on the top of the neck of the instrument, near the mouthpiece. Clarinets typically include a register key that raises the pitch by a twelfth. Other instruments include water keys at a point on the body of the instrument. Trumpets, for example, typically include a water key along an outer surface of the return side of the body. Typically trumpet water keys face away from the player when the trumpet is played in its regular technique.
Accordingly, attempts have been made to improve, among other things, the tonal characteristics and ease of play of wind instruments. For example, Powell discloses, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,735,411, a saxophone, having a neck provided with an octave opening on its left side, considered with reference to the way the instrument is held in playing, a pad which covers and uncovers said opening, a lever which carries said pad, and a second lever which actuates the first lever and has its fulcrum parallel with the fulcrum of the first lever.
In another patent involving the octave key of a saxophone, Loomis discloses, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,033,774 a wood wind instrument with a straight body, a curved mouth pipe in axial continuation thereto, an upper octave hole being located on the concave side of said mouth pipe, an upper octave key extending along the concave side of said mouth pipe, an abutment bar overlying the straight body, a hinge supported from said body, links extending from said hinge to a bar parallel to said abutment bar, additional links extending from said parallel bar to the abutment bar, means for rocking the hinge to actuate the abutment bar and upper octave key, a lower octave hole being located on the straight body, a lower octave key and means extending from the lower octave key to one of said last named links, whereby upon operation of said lower octave key independent of said first named hinge rocking means actuation of the upper octave key.
Furthermore, Massa discloses, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,146, a musical instrument combining a modified portion of a tenor saxophone with a modified portion of a soprano saxophone joined together by means of a bracket whereby one of the two instruments can be moved relative to the other to obtain proper alignment whereby the two instruments can be played simultaneously. Each of the two instruments is provided with its own mouthpiece whereby a musician may play two notes simultaneously. Each instrument is also fitted with a trumpet bell outlet. The standard octave key and a post holding the octave key to the soprano saxophone may be moved downwardly from their normal position to give clearance for a mouthpiece attached to said soprano saxophone so that it may be moved for tuning purposes.
Heckel discloses, in U.S. Pat. No. 706,557 improvements in clarinets in which two octave-holes are opened or kept open by the pressure upon a single-octave key. In the generally-employed instruments belonging to the class of the clarinets, contrabass clarinets—the octave-key is also used for the “B” key, so that from the same hole the tone “B” is obtained.
The cited disclosures do not address the problem of correcting overtones in wind instruments. What is needed is a wind instrument that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.